Elevator signaling system



Feb. 9, 1932. E. P. BUTUSOV v ELEVATOR SIGNALING SYSTEM Filed March 19 192 3 Sheets-Sheet l 4 Inzienior;

Feb. 9, 1932. E. P. BUTUSOV ELEVATORSIGNALING SYSTEM Filed March l9 193 5 Sheets-Sheet amu s Patented Feb. 9, 1932 UNITED STATES PATET EMIL P. BUTUSOV, OF HOLLYWOOD, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB 0F ONE-HALF TO DANIEL LEWY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS ELEVATOR SIGNALING SYSTEM Application filed March 19, 1926. Serial No. 95,998.

This invention relates to elevator signaling systems employing electric signals upon different floors controlled by prospective passengers and employed to inform the signaling passengers of the approach of the elevator cars to their floors, there usually being employed electric signal devices in the elevator cars which are caused to respond when the signal devices upon the floors respond.

The invention has for its primary object the simplification and improvement in the equipment and wiring employed in such a system.

Another object of the invention is to provide a plurality of central relays correspond ing in number to the number of elevator cars in service in the building, these central relays being placed in a central cabinet situated on a floor centrally disposed with respect to the floors traversed by the elevator cars with the object of effecting a great saving in Wiring from the mechanically operated elevator mechanism to the electromagnetioally operated mechanism in the central cabinet and from the central cabinet to the signals on the various floors to be served.

This application forms a continuation in part of application Serial Number 381,116,

'filed October 16, 1919,1901 an elevator signaling system.

The essential features of this invention for which broad protection is sought are pointed out and claimed in the annexed claims. The essential mechanical and electrical features disclosed herein and their method of opera tion are claimed in the copending application Serial Number 331,114, filed October 16, 1919, now Patent Number 1,581,383, patented April 20. 1926.

Prior to this invention in all elevator signaling systems employing a plurality of cars serving a building having a great number of floors. great difliculty has been experienced in running the necessarily large number of electrical conductors from the various controlling units to the signals to be controlled. in a large office building, the amount of wiring, that is, the complicated wiring connecting the individual electrical units forming the system runs into many miles of conductor and the many wiring difiiculties arising in such a situation are too numerous to mention. The cost of the conductors alone becomes a serious problem. Furthermore, in the event that the system fails to function properly, trouble shooting as it is commonly termed becomes very difficult and it is not uncommon to find elevator systems frequently out of ccmn issicn for long periods of time, simply because the trouble cannot be located immediately.

By ei'nploying the method of Wiring up or electric lly connecting the various units set forth in the present invention together with the simple grouping of all vital units at one central point, the man annoying problems heretofore experienced are almost entirely obviated and certainly it will be apparent that the original installation cost of the system will be greatly reduced over that in prior systems.

The various central relays for the entire system may be interlocked by connecting them i 11 multiple, thereby causing all of the signals for all of the elevator cars to function even though one car alone is in operation. Since all of the central elays are situated at one point, all of the wipers, contacts, push-button relays and the clectromagntic mechanism for operating the Wipers can be mounted in a cal'iinet at the factory where all the complicated wiring can be completed and thence transported to the building and installed on the desired floor. This method of installation obviates all of the complicated, exceedingly long lengths of wiring formerly necessary since it is only required to run a few wires from the switching mechanism of each elevator b0 the cabinet and from the cabinet to the signals or lights on the various floors.

The invention will be fully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings showing the preferred embodiment of the in- \911l3i0111 Figure 1 illustrates a wiring diagram for a complete installation of the signaling system for one elevator car serving four floors of a building;

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation of a multistory building having in operation a plurality 399 down position.

of elevator cars and shows the preferred method of installing the system with respect to the pent-houses and the central cabinet; and

Figure 3 shows the central cabinet per se containing the vital electrical units of the system shown in conventional style only.

Since each elevator car employs the same signaling system and since all of the systems are interlocked, reference will be made to the operation of the system oi one car only, as all of the other cars will operate in the same manner.

The drawing of Figure 1 illustrates one set of up signals 1, 2 and 3, located respectively upon the first, second and third floors, these up signals being desirably in the form of white incandescent lamps. A set of down signals 4, 5 and 6 are located respectively upon the fourth, third and second floors. These signals serve to inform signaling passengers of the approach of the elevator cars to their floors. Up push buttons or switches 7,. 8 and 9 are respectively upon the first, secnd and third floors and respectively in controlling relation to the up signals 1, 2 and 3 upon these floors. Down push buttons or switches 10, 11 and 12 are respectively upon the fourth, third and second floors and respectively in controlling relation to the down signals 4, and 6 upon these floors. These push buttons are respectively individual to the self-locking electro-magnets 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18 that are partially controlled thereby and whose armature switches are serially included in the respective circuits of said signals. The elevator system operates a down wiper or contact member 19 and an up wiper or contact member 20, wiper 19, when suitably positioned by the elevator system, co-operating with the down push buttons 11 and 12 and the up push button 7 in the display of the signals 5, 6 and 1 individual to those push buttons while the up wiper 20, when suitably positioned by the elevator system, co-operates with the up push buttons 8 and 9 and the down push button in the display of signals 2, 3 and 4. hen the down wiper 19 functions it turns counterclockwise and when the up wiper 20 functions it turns clockwise. These wipers perform their functions through waiting contacts successively reached thereby in proper time with respect to the position of the elevator car. These waiting contacts comprise waiting terminals of the signal lamps the first floor having a waiting contact 21 engaged by the down wiper 19 when the elevator car is near or in its As the elevator car moves upwardly and has reached its proper positions in advance of the floors where the signals are to be, displayed, it successively encounters the waiting contacts 22 and 23 con-- stituting the waiting terminals of the up signals 2 and 3 and finally encounters the waiting contact 24, when sufliciently near the top floor, to light the down signal 4. It is understood that none of these up or down signals are lighted, however, unless the push button or push buttons corresponding thereto are depressed.

The elevator attendant is apprised of the fact that passengers wish to enter his car A by the illumination of either the up signal 26 or the down signal 27 located upon the car. This down signal 27 is controlled by a down wiper 28 engageable with the waiting contacts 29 and 30 that individually pertain to the down signals 5 and 6 and the waiting contact 31 pertaining to the up signal 1, the down wiper 28, similarly to the down wiper 19, being eltective when moving counterclockwise and in such movement encountering its waiting contacts in the order of their enumeration. The up signal 26 is controlled by an up wiper 32 engageable with the waiting contacts 33 and 34 that individually pertain to the up signals 2 and 3 and the waiting contact 35 pertaining to the down signal 4, the up wiper 32, similarly to the up wiper 20, being effective when moving clockwise and in such movement encountering its waiting contacts in the order of their enumeration.

When any push button is depressed, as for example the push button 7, circuit is established therethrough, traceable from the right hand terminal ofthe battery 25, the magnet 13 for the push button 7 individual tothe push button, thence to the left hand terminal of the battery whereafter the actuated push button may be immediately releasec as the armature of the energized magnet is caught and held by the armature oi a restoring or releasing magnet, the magnets 13 to 18 inclusive, having releasing or restoring magnets 36, 37, 38, 39, and 41, respectively indi vidual thereto.

Let it be assumed that some push button. say the second floor push button 8, has been depressed, the magnet of such push button, the magnet 14 in the case of push button 8, is energized and the armature switch thereof illustrated at the left side of its armature is closed and maintained closed owing to the locked position of such armature. When the wipers pertaining to the energized maenet, the wipers 20 and 32 in the example taken, have been caused to reach the waiting contacts 22 and 33 by the mechanism actuated by the elevator system, as will more fully appear, the second floor signal corresponding to the push button 8 and the magnet energized due to the depression of such button will be displayed will also the corresponding signal upon the elevator car. The circuit of the second floor signal 2 is traceable from the right hand terminal of the batte 25, through the switch 42 upon the car A and which is placed in a set closed position by the operator at the beginning of his work, the master switch 43 which is adjusted by the elevator system through mechanism to be de scribed, to connect the up wipers in circuit when. the car has reached its lower limit or goes up and to connect the down wipers in circuit when the car has reached its upper limit or goes down, the conductor ll, common to the signals 2, 3 and 4, the signal 2, the waiting contact 22 pertaining to this signal, the up wiper 20 the up wiper 32, the waiting contact 33 pertaining to the up wiper 32, the armature switch of the actuated magnet 14 shown at the left of this magnet, to the left hand terminal of said battery. The signal at this time displayed upon the car A is the signal 26 whose circuit is traceable from the right hand terminal of the battery 25, through the signal 26, the up wiper 32, the waiting contact 33, the armature switch of the energized magnet 14, to the left hand terminal of said battery.

The master switch 43 is shifted to its alternative positions by means of the Geneva gearing 45 that operates an arm 46 in oscillating relation to said switch. A suitable time after glZhGlI occurrence the signals displayed upon the floor and upon the car are cancelled. To this end there is employed an up wiper 47 which. turns clockwise. when effective and successively engages waiting contacts 48, 4-9 and 50 that are respectively employed for cancelling the signals manifested by the up signal devices 2 and 3 upon the second and third floors and the down signal devi e l upon the top floor. A. down wiper 51 1lCl1 turns counterclockwise when effective successively engages waiting contacts 52, 53, and 54 that are respectively employed for canceliling the signals manifested by the down sig nal devices 5 and 6 upon the third and second floors and the up signal 1 upon the lirst floor. In the case of the supposedly energized magnet 14, the signal conveyed by the signal device 2 is subsequently effaced upon. the energiza-tion of the releasing magnet 37 whose circuit is traceable from the right hand terminal of battery 2, through the master switch 43, the up wiper 47 the master switch 43 being now shifted for the upward travel of the car) the waiting contact 48, the releasing magnet 37, the armature switch of magnet l l, to the left hand terminal of the battery The magnet 37 is consequently en ergized to attract its armature and release the attracted. armature of magnet 14- whose armature switch is consequently opened to break the circuits of the displayed signals upon the second floor and the car. The wi; ers which have been described are embraced in switching mechanisms common to the instrumentalities controlled thereby through the intermediation of the waiting contacts individual to such instrumentalities and successively engaged by the wipers.

All of the wipers may be located upon a common shaft 55. This shaft may be rotated in clockwise or counter-clockwise directions according to the direction of movement of the car through the intermediation of magnets 56, 57 and 58 having a common armature 59 and in suitable gear connect-ion with the wiper shaft 55. These magnets are energized by some suitable mechanism governed by the elevator system which, in the illustrated embodiment of the invention, includes a supporting cable 60 having the car upon one end and the counterweight 61 upon the other end, the pulley or sheave 62 over which this cable passes, a pulley or sheave 63 co-axial with and fixed with respect to the pulley 62, a sprocket chain or belt 6d and a pulley or sheave 65 operated by the element 64. A ring divided up into metallic segments 66, 67 and 68 is fixed with respect to the pulley 65, these segments successively engaging brushes 69 and 70 connected with the terminals of thebattery 25. Three continuous metallic rings 71, 72 and 7 3 are coaxial with and fixed with respect to the rings 66, 67 and 68. The rings 71, 72 and 73 are respectively engaged by brushes 74, 75 and 7 6, and are respectively connected with the ring segments 68, 66 and 67 whereby two adj acent magnets of the motor 56, 57 and 58 are at a time energized, the unenergized magnet subsequently being energized and the magnet ahead of it, in the direction of rotation of the armature, then being de-energized whereby rotation of the armature is effected in a direction that corresponds with the direction of travel of the elevator.

Means are desirably provided for opposing the sparking between the trailing ends of the ring segments 66, 67, 68 and the brushes 69 and 70. The means shown includes spark choking resistances 66, 67, and 68 respectively connected each at one end with the contact segments 66, 67 and 68 and respec tively individual to the pairs of minor con tact segments 66 66 67 67 and 68 68 each such resistance having its remaining terminal connected with the pair of minor contact segments to which it is individual. The brush tips are broad enough to bridge the gaps between the major and minor segments, the circuit through each major segment thus momentarily persisting through the corresponding resistance before the circuit is broken.

The circuits which are successively established through the magnets 56, 5'? and 58 will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Assuming that the ring comprising segments 66, 6. and 68 is turning counter-clockwise; the circuits will be established as follows:

When the brush 69 is engaged by the segment 66, circuit is established which is traceable from the battery 25, through the brush 69, the segment 66, the contact ring 7 2, the brush 7 5, the magnets 57 and 56 in series, the brush 7 6, the ring 73, the contact segment 67, the'brush 70, to the. battery 25. At this time circuit through the magnet 58 is open at the segment 68.- lVhen the brush 69 is engaged by the segment 67, circuit is established which is traceable from the battery 25, through the brush 69, the segment 67, the contact ring 73, the brush 7 6, the magnets 56 and 58 in series, the brush 7%, the ring 71, the contact segment 68, the brush 70, to the battery 25. At this time circuit through magnet 57 is open at the segment 66. When the brush 69 is engaged by the segment 68, circuit is established which is traceable from the battery 25, through the brush 69, the segment 68, the contact ring 71, the brush 74, the magnets 58 and 56 in series, the brush 76, the ring 7 3, the contact segment 67, the brush 70, to the battery At this time circuit through magnet 56 is open at the segment 67. The shaft will thus turn clockwise. If the ring 66, 67 and 68 is turning clockwise, it will be apparent that the shaft 55 will be turning counter-clockwise The foregoing description applies to the complete system for use with one elevator car. Since there are a plurality of elevator cars disclosed, each employing the same system, it is intended to connect the systems in multiple, or in other words, to interlock them. This method of interlocking is shown clearly in Figures 2 and 3, wherein two elevator systems are interlocked and the number of elevators that can be so interlocked is governed only by the size of the building to be served, there being no theoretical limit.

Referring to Figure 2, F F F and F represent the various floors of a building served by the cars A and B. The car-operated switches, as here nbefore described, are mounted in the pent-house P at the top of the hatchway. The central cabinet 77 is situated on floor F 3 intermediate of the floors traversed and contains all of the wiper shafts, electromagnets, contacts, releasing magnets and the complicated wiring for these various parts.

From a study of Figure 2, it will be seen that the hatchway contains only a few runs of conductor cable, leading from the penthouse switching mechanism to the central cabinet. All of the complicated wiring is in the cabinet and is removed entirely from the hatchway. From the cabinet, wires can be led to the signals and push buttons on the individual floors. It will be readily appreciated that many miles of conductor are saved in a building of a moderate size operating a plurality of elevators. The wiring from the pent-house to the central cabinet is relatively simple. Experience has proved that it is the wiring which is placed in the central cabinet, which heretofore has been placed in the hatchways, that generally causes trouble in operation. As the system grows, with the size of the building, these troubles increase.

Figure 3 shows the central cabinet or wired cabinet 7 7 in sectional elevation with the various electrical units therein shown in conventional form only as it would obviously be impossible to show the parts in their true form in a complicated interlocked system. The parts shown represent those necessary for a two car system and it is just as easy in commercial installations to place the parts necessary for a twelve car system in the cabinet as it is to place them there for a two car system. The systems are interlocked by conductors 78, 79, 80, 81, 82 and 83 connecting the wipers on the wiper shafts and 55. All of the wiper shafts and the waiting contacts are grouped in one section of the cabinet and the many electromagnets and releasing electromagnets are mounted in another section of the cabinet. As shown in the drawings, all of the up electromagnets for elevator Number 1 are mounted in one vertical row and all of the down electromagnets for the same elevator are mounted in another vertical row. The same method of grouping is followed out for each successive elevator added to the system.

The wiring necessary for all of these parts can be of smaller size than would be required if the wires were placed in the hatchway because they are not subjected to severe operating conditions. A very great advantage also accrues from the fact that this complicated wiring can be done in the shop when the parts are mounted in the cabinet and far better work can be done than when the individual parts are assembled on the construction job. When the wired cabinet arrives at the building for installation, only the few external wires already mentioned need be connected to the cabinet.

Another decided advantage of this method of installation resides in the ease with which troubleshooting can be accomplished. The repair-man need only open the door of the cabinet and there he will find all of the vital and delicate electrical equipment before him. He can test each relay by itself or test all of them collectively. The time necessary for this Work is thereby reduced to a minimum since everything is grouped at one central point. The mechanically actuated selecting means in the pent-house seldom is the cause of any trouble but experience shows that the electrically actuated means is the principal cause of trouble. Other importantadvantages accruing from the method of wiring the signal system disclosed herein will present themselves to those skilled in the art.

I claim 1. An elevator signaling system for an elevator system including a plurality of cars each serving a plurality of floors, signals individual to each of said cars, circuits for said signals, passenger controlled means at each floor for preparing said circuits including relays, electromagnetically operated selecting switches one for each car for completing said signal circuits, a panel located at a centralized location with respect to said cars and mounting all of the relays and selecting switches thereon, and means individual to each of said cars and mechanically operated by movements of the associated car up and down its shaft for correspondingly operating the selecting switch whereby the circuits prepared by the passenger controlled means will be completed upon the approach of the car to the floor from which the passenger controlled means has been operated.

2. An elevator signaling system for an elevator system including a plurality of cars each serving a plurality of floors, up-signals and down-signals individual to each of said cars, circuits for said signals, push-button switches at each floor for reparing said circuits including relays, e ectromagnetically operated selecting switches one for each car for completing said signal circuits, a panel located at a centralized location with respect to said cars and mounting all of the relays and selecting switches thereon and means including a commutating device individual to each of saidcars and mechanically operated by movements of the associated car up and down its shaft for correspondingly operating the selecting switch whereby the circuits prepared by the push-button switches will be completed upon the approach of the car to the floor from which the push-button switch has been operated.

3. An elevator signaling system for an elevator system including a plurality of cars each serving a plurality of floors, signals individual to each of said cars, circuits for said signals, passenger controlled means at each floor for preparing said circuits including relays, electromagnetically operated selecting switches one for each car for completing said signal circuits, means for operating said selecting switches by, and in accordance with, the movements of said cars, and a panel located at a centralized location with respect to said cars and mounting all of the relays and selecting switches thereon, the selecting switches and relays pertaining to an individual car being interconnected with the corresponding selecting switches and relays of every other car in said system.

4. An elevator signaling system for an elevator system including a plurality of cars each serving a plurality of floors, signals in dividual to each of said cars, circuits for said signals, passenger controlled means at each floor for preparing said circuits including relays, electromagnetically operated selecting switches one for each car for completing movements of the associated car up and down its shaft for correspondingly operating the selecting switch whereby the circuits prepared by the passenger controlled means will be completed upon the approach of the car to the floor from which the passenger controlled means has been operated.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

EMIL P. BUTUSOV. 

